瓜田李下
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents |
[edit] Mandarin
| simpl. and trad. | |||
| 瓜田李下 | |||
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Etymology
Literally: in a melon patch or under a plum tree
[edit] Idiom
瓜田李下 (traditional and simplified, Pinyin guā tián lǐ xià)
- a position that invites suspicion; liable to lay oneself open to suspicion; be found in a suspicious position; in suspicious circumstances or surroundings
[edit] Usage notes
Originates from a longer phrase 瓜田不納履、李下不正冠. It can be compared to the English-language idiom, "caught with one's hand in the cookie jar."
